Page 119 of The Dragon Queen

“I’m fine, I think. Where are the others?”

Planning a war, Glimmer replied grimly.

“In a meeting with the general.” His lips pursed. “I opted out of that conversation.” That bitter smile, it wasn’t one I saw him wear often. “Once we got to the point in the battle plan where the vast majority of Blackreach would end up in the sea, I left and took over from the healer looking after you.”

“The sea…”

I could see it clearly and, by my dragon’s look, so could she. The destructive power of Aisenbran used to lay waste to Blackreach. The riders would remodel the coastline of Nevermere with those explosives.

“Pippin!”

I turned on one heel and marched out of the tent. I’d been awake for mere minutes and yet already I was working up a full head of steam. My intention was to stride over to the general’s tent and make clear what a mistake they were making. What kind ofleader sacrificed a whole city full of people to remove one recalcitrant duke?

How will we retrieve the dragon eggs?Glimmer asked.

I paused, and the fact I had no ready answer only frustrated me further. I was about to reply, to swear I would argue long and hard with every rider there to ensure they were kept safe, but instead, another stab of pain had me bending over double.

“Pippin!” Ged appeared at my side, putting an arm around my shoulder, ready to steer me back towards the tent. “You need to rest.”

“I need to make sure we don’t make a terrible mistake,” I ground out.

A few rapid pants and the wave washed away again, leaving me feeling clammy. I wiped my brow with my sleeve and then moved forward. Between tents, past dragons, each one lifting their head as we passed to note Glimmer. They weren’t my focus, this was.

“Pippin!”

Everyone kept saying my name with the same note of surprise, but the fact that it was Flynn made it a welcome thing. My eyes widened, a smile ready, because seeing him there made everything better. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to enjoy that moment because every rider in the corp watched me take a step forward and then stop myself.

“How are you feeling, my queen?” Draven asked smoothly, rising to his feet and stepping between the two of us. “You gave us quite the scare.”

“I’m fine.”

I wasn’t, but I’d pretend if that’s what it took to get through this. Draven didn’t have my attention, but the map did. Small dragon markers were placed across it, sweeping towards the right hand wall, and I could almost see what would happen. Dragonfire would be dropped, exploding through the bricks, the buildings, the very earth itself, and then they would sweep in.

Nothing will survive this, Glimmer said, jumping up on a camp chair and peering at the map.Not my brothers, nor my sister.Her claws hit the table.They are to be sacrifices, no matter who wins.

Males protect.I didn’t mean to throw her words back at her, but it needed to be said.This is them protecting.

And a queen’s role isn’t a passive one,she shot back.How do the males know what to attack, what to protect if they do not consult with their queen?

Apparently, male dragons were far more conciliatory of their mates than human men were. I stepped forward, the map dropping away and being replaced by something far more visceral. My head whipped around, tracing the shadowy shape of the wall with my eyes, able to see it explode outward once the first explosive was dropped.

“You’re not just destroying a wall,” I said, my vision clouded by what I saw, which saved me from shrinking back under the weight of their collective gaze. “It’s not just markers.” I reached forward and flicked a small carved man off the map. “Pawns removed from the board.” I traced my finger along the roads marked on the map closest to the dragons’ incursion point. The houses there were closely packed, indicating that it was one of the poorer parts of the city. “People will die.”

“We know, Pippin,” Draven replied in a tight voice.

“No, you can’t.”

I blinked and blinked, pushing aside the memory of people, of dragons dying. Why the hell had I worked with Ged’s father to create those gimbals? If I hadn’t helped, the corp would have little use for dragonfire…

They would’ve used it anyway,Glimmer told me.What you did ensured less of our dragons will die, but…Her focus shifted back to the map.How many will die within the walls?

“You mustn’t.” I’d stood before Draven, head held high, despite being covered in dragon shit, and I’d made clear what I thought then. I needed to do the same now. “You can’t, because if you knew what you were planning to do, you wouldn’t be able to sit here and move markers around on the map, sipping wine.”

His eyes glittered with a dangerous light, making clear I would pay for this later, so I focussed on the others. Brom first, then Soren, the quiet pride in his gaze helping me to forge on. Flynn stood taller, a small smile forming, while Ged nodded, urging me to continue.

“We came here because the Duke of Harlston thought to clear the board himself, murdering the dukes of all the other duchies and their families. Women, children.” Riders winced at that. “All because he assumed Draven would be a good little pawn, be willing to accept his uncle’s ‘advice,’ making him the de facto leader of Nevermere.”

I plucked a bottle of wine from the table, my mouth suddenly dry, but when a glass was offered to me, I took a swig straight from the bottle.

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